Christian Thielemann on his last Easter Festival: "I am adopted from Salzburg"

Created: 04/06/2022, 19:00

By: Markus Thiel

Christian Thielemann began with Richard Wagner, namely with “Parsifal”, at the Easter Festival in 2013, and his era there also ended with this composer.

“Lohengrin” premieres in Salzburg on April 9th.

© Barbara Gindl/afp

For the last time he is the central figure of the Salzburg Easter Festival.

And even if he has to go, he pretends to be happy: an encounter with Christian Thielemann.

The figure of salvation has hastened, the people horrified.

A big, loud "Woe!" escapes everyone, in the end there is only frustration and madness.

The right finale for your own farewell?

"Nope.

In addition, the 'Lohengrin' then ends in the forgiving, light A major.” Christian Thielemann seems quite happy, and he probably really is.

Only a few days until the Wagner premiere at the Salzburg Easter Festival, it will also be his last there.

And in fact everything seems to have been overcome, if not forgotten: the anger when his contract was not extended, the divo Zoff with the new director Nikolaus Bachler.

And the argument about which opera should be played.

"It's nice to go if you're remembered positively," says Thielemann.

There are frankfurters with horseradish and mustard.

Afternoon break in the Zirbelstube in the Hotel Sacher.

In the last few days of March, the man from Potsdam traveled to the Salzach with his Staatskapelle Dresden.

Maybe not for the last time after all: "You don't just see each other twice in life, but three and four times."

Salzburg Easter Festival: The new one turns everything upside down

As is well known, Thielemann, who just celebrated his 63rd birthday in Salzburg, has to go against his will.

Bachler, the new strong Easter man, is turning the world's most exclusive festival inside out.

No resident orchestra anymore, no permanent conductor.

In 2023 the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig will come with Andris Nelsons for Wagner's "Tannhäuser", after which one hears about a "Madame Butterfly" with the Roman Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Antonio Pappano.

Thielemann has also served Italian to the Easter audience since taking office in 2013.

Well, there was Wagner four times, starting with "Parsifal", but also Puccini's "Tosca" or Verdi's "Otello".

And without Corona there would have been Verdi's "Don Carlo".

"I was told that people want to hear Italian here," says Thielemann.

He knows that the Easter Festival can only handle a dozen operas anyway, otherwise the wealthy audience will stay away.

And, as a hit star in the orchestra pit, doesn't even think it's a bad thing.

Although: he would have liked to have done Pfitzner's “Palestrina”.

The former director Peter Ruzicka talked him out of it.

In general, Ruzicka: "I have hardly worked with anyone in my life as well as with him." One of his close friends is Ruzicka, who served as artistic director of the Easter Festival from 2015 to 2020.

"An immensely experienced, diplomatic, good-natured person." The question of who is wearing which hat has never arisen.

If you want, you can also take this as a tip against his successor Bachler.

And if you take all the directors and managers who at some point crossed paths with Thielemann, then there are really only three people with whom peaceful, fruitful coexistence was possible: with Ruzicka, with Ulrike Hessler, the director of the Dresden Semperoper who died in 2012 , and with the Bayreuth father figure Wolfgang Wagner.

Thielemann consoles himself with foreign assignments

As is well known, Thielemann will soon be rid of all senior positions.

In a few days at the Easter Festival, in 2024 at the Staatskapelle Dresden in Bayreuth, the contract as music director expired without consequences - even if he continued to conduct there.

He got over the upheaval.

The appointment calendar is full, among other things he consoles himself with Wagner's "Ring" at the Milan Scala in 2024.

It's also time for a trip to North America again, and he'll be flying to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra next fall - "after 20 years!"

Thielemann hints that he would have liked to have worked at the Easter Festival for two or three years.

He enjoys his time on the Salzach, including trips to the surrounding area.

After all, he is an “adopted Salzburger”.

And even if the spring spectacle is over now: "I'm there regularly in the summer." This one again, with the Vienna Philharmonic.

Still, there must be a sting.

Anyone who hears Thielemann raving about Herbert von Karajan as a role model will realize that being the head of the Easter Festival, the private festival founded by Karajan in 1967, must be particularly satisfying.

For the 50th anniversary of the spectacle, Thielemann even had the backdrops of the founding piece dusted off and rebuilt.

There was Wagner's "Valkyrie" again as the ultimate Karajan incantation.

And the fact that Thielemann started there in 2013 with "Parsifal" also has a special reason: he once sat as an assistant at the piano when Saint Herbert was rehearsing the opus.

"Lohengrin" premiere without a swan

Even then, Thielemann got to know the acoustic pitfalls of the Great Festival Hall.

What kind of pianissimo is possible there, he says with shining eyes, was demonstrated to him by Karajan.

But will the Easter Festival last another half century?

Thielemann is not so sure.

Above all, the financially strong ticket buyers and sponsors would be fewer.

"I see this kind of audience diminishing," he puts it.

His basic recipe for the festival: star soloists and conductors.

Thielemann does not mention the direction.

He's even right about that.

Hardly any gala guest can be warmed to an exciting new reading of a piece.

Despite this, this year Jossi Wieler was hired for "Lohengrin" with permanent director Sergio Morabito.

A duo known for their exciting, calm, deeply plumbing X-ray evenings.

"Lohengrin" is being co-produced with the Vienna State Opera, Thielemann will also conduct there.

What he likes most about Wieler is the leadership.

In addition, there is no noise – and no swan on stage.

"Not even a duck."

Information:

The Easter Festival begins on April 9th ​​with the "Lohengrin" premiere and lasts until April 18th;

osterfestspiele-salzburg.at.